Liquor outlets caught selling product to minors

Two Northland liquor outlets have been caught selling alcohol to minors.

Police are disappointed at the results of their latest underage alcohol stings, finding two outlets willing to sell booze to minors.

Police and Northland District Health Board officials carry out Controlled Purchase Operations at licensed premises throughout Northland to see if they are willing to sell to minors.

The latest operations saw underage volunteers, aged 16 and 17, attempting to buy alcohol from licensed premises in Kaipara and the Far North.

The operations resulted in two sales - one from 8 outlets tested in the Kaipara operation and one from 11 outlets tested in the Far North operation.

Senior Sergeant John Fagan, area prevention manager, Whangarei/Kaipara Police said, "Police are disappointed that a Kaipara premises in our area have failed the Controlled Purchase Operation.

''All premises selling or supplying alcohol are aware that we run these types of operations regularly so should not be surprised that they are being tested. We expect that all premises should guard against sales to young persons and have the right procedures in place".

Senior Constable Graeme Wright, alcohol harm reduction officer, Kerikeri Police said the result was disappointing.

''The premises involved should have better systems in place regarding not selling alcohol to minors. These sales of alcohol should not be occurring. All applicants when they make application for a licence to sell alcohol state there are appropriate systems and procedures in place to prevent the sale of alcohol to underage people. Clearly this is not the case for the premises that sold to the volunteer,'' he said.

''I would like to emphasise that if identification is unable to be produced by anyone attempting to purchase alcohol who looks under 25 years of age, the sellers should not sell the alcohol to them. It is important to stress that a full and proper identification check must be carried out including calculating the age.

''This is best practice and the only sure way to prevent sales to underage. As a community, we need to have confidence that licence holders will not sell alcohol to our youth and allow them to drink unsupervised and potentially harmfully.''

The consequences when the licensees are reported to the authorities are major. This can result in a suspension of their licence to sell alcohol for a number of days.

Controlled Purchase Operations are part of an ongoing programme to assess compliance with the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 in an effort to address access to alcohol by minors.